Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:15:
Uma: “Let’s not love this world, or any of its contents. Whoever loves this world, they don’t love God the Father.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Don’t feel-good/like-to-do doing the things most people in this world do and don’t feel-good-about/like the various things in this world. Whoever feels-good-about/likes these things, he does not love his Father God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is necessary that the activities of the people here on the earth who are the enemies of God are not big in our (incl.) breath; it is also necessary that there is nothing here on the earth which is big in our breath. For if there is a person and what is big in his breath are those things, it is not possible that what is dear in his breath is our Father God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “You shouldn’t love the behavior which is opposed to what God wants and that which is on this earth, because if you love these-things, you also have no love for God our Father.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I urge you, no longer give preference to the ways of here under the heavens which are opposed to the will of God, or whatever here which is opposed to him. Because whoever still chooses-to-remain-committed-to these, it’s clear that he has no holding dear for this Father of ours.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do not like the evil there is here in the world. He who likes the evil here in the world is the person who does not know how to love our Father.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Do not you desire intensely to do like the evil head-hearted people do, and likewise do not you desire intensely the things you will have in this world. We know if we are desiring intensely to do like the evil head-hearted people are doing, we have not yet come to love our father God.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Don’t like the world, neither the deeds of the world. If someone likes (loves) the world, he doesn’t esteem God.”
Tzotzil: “Don’t let it be that your hearts get taken up with what belongs to the world and what is here in the world. Because if our hearts are taken up with what belongs to the world, we don’t love our Father God.”
Garifuna: “Don’t you love the world’s character/conduct, nor any of the things which are in the world. If a person loves that which pertains to the world, he does not love (our) Father.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “Don’t love the world. Also don’t love the things that belong to the world. The person who loves the world does not love the Father.”
Yanesha’: “Do not treasure all which you see on the earth. If anyone treasures what is on the earth, our Father in love has not yet arrived on him in his heart.”
Aguaruna: “That which belongs to people (purely human), don’t love that; don’t love that which is of (belongs to) this here world. That which belongs to this here world, you loving, our Father God you do not love.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 3:18:
Uma: “My children, let’s not be loving in lips only, let’s not say that we love our relatives and we not do anything to help them. We [should be] loving with our behavior, for that is really true love.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My children-grandchildren, don’t let us (incl.) just love with words/speech. But if we (dual) say we (dual) love our (dual) fellow-man, we (dual) should make our (dual) words true/confirm/verify them and cause good deeds to accompany (the words) toward them (the fellow-men).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My dear children, it’s necessary that our love for our companions is not just mere words, but rather it is necessary that we show our love for them by means of our actions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “You who are my children, our manner-of-loving our companions, it should not be merely in our words only, but rather it should be from-the-heart and it should be shown in what we are doing.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “You who are like my children, what is good is, we are not just saying that we value one other, but rather we are showing through what we are doing that this valuing of ours is true.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my children, only let it not come from your mouths that we love our fellowmen, rather let it be apparent that we truly love, let us help our fellowmen.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “My little children, we must not love our fellows just with words. We should not just say we love our fellows, but we must love them wholeheartedly and help our fellows.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “My dear children, let us not just talk about love, but let us really do it.”
Tzotzil: “My children, don’t let it be in vain we say that we love each other, don’t let’s lie. Let our work appear that we love each other really and truly.”
Garifuna: “My children. Let us love each other, not just that which is speaking nor just that which we say. Let us love one another genuinely, that which we show by means of what we do.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “Children, listen! No more of this only loving with our mouths. Let’s completely love each other with all of our hearts.”
Yanesha’: “Let’s not, my little ones, love one another with all words, just from our mouth. We cause to appear our love, completely of a truth, therein whatever we do.”
Aguaruna: “Little children, let’s love one another., but not just saying it, for nothing talking; truly let’s help each other, for nothing with the mouth only, not talking, rather let’s complete it.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:5:
Uma: “Who are they who defeat the power/authority of the evil-ones in this world? Only the people who believe that Yesus is God’s Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Who can defeat the temptation in the world? Only those who believe that Isa is God’s Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Who is the one who can defeat Satan? It is only the person who has believed that Jesus is the Son of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because no one can-defeat that which is on this earth that is opposed to God except the one who believes that Jesus is the Child of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well who are these ones who are being able to be victorious over this rule/hold over him of evil here in this world/land? Only those who believe that as for Jesus, he is none other than really the Son of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “No one can leave the evil here on earth except he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Who can endure to draw away from the evil which is in this world so it will not win out over him? It is we who believe that Jesus is God’s son who endure to draw away from the evil.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Who is he who overcomes the world? He who believes that Jesus is God’s Son.”
Tzotzil: “Because we have believed that Jesus is God’s Son therefore has been conquered by us all that is here in the world.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “Who overcomes the world? The one who says ‘Jesus is God’s Son,’ that one overcomes the world.”
Yanesha’: “Who surpasses that which is on the earth: If it not this one who believes how that Jesus is the one who is our Father’s Son?”
Aguaruna: “Who is able to be victorious? He who ‘Jesus is truly God’s son,’ saying believes, that one is victor.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
The Greek that is translated as “Son of Man” is mostly used by Jesus to refer to himself as well as in the prophecies of Daniel and Enoch (see Enoch 17:34 et al). It is translated in the following languages as (click or tap for details):
Tzotzil: “I who am equal with men” or “The Older Brother of Everybody” (“expressing the dignity and authority of the Messiah and the universality of his work”)
Tenango Otomi: “The Man Appointed” (i.e. the man to whom authority has been delegated) (source for this and preceding: Beekman, p. 189-190, see also Ralph Hill in Notes on Translation February 1983, p. 35-50)
Aguaruna: “One who was born becoming a person” (source for this and two above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Older Sibling of Mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Child of a Person” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “One From Heaven Born of Man/human?” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Man who came from heaven” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “One who God sent, who was born a human” (a direct translation would have suggested “that the father is unknown due to the indiscretions of the mother” and where “he is the son of people” is used when one wants to disclaim responsibility for or relationship with a child caught in some mischief — source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Kâte: Ŋic Fâri Wâtuŋne or “the man who is a true support” (source: Renck, p. 106)
Mezquital Otomi: “The son who became a person” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Alekano: “The true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
Central Tarahumara: “One who has been stood up to help” (“This suggests that Christ has been given authority to some appointed task. A very generic word, help, was selected to fill in the lexically obligatory purpose required by the word which means to appoint or commission. Usually this word is used of menial tasks but not exclusively. The choice of this generic term retains the veiled reference to the character of Christ’s work which He intended in using the ‘Son of Man’ title.”)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “He who is relative of all people.” (“The Triqui word for relative is a rather generic term and in its extended sense sometimes is diluted to neighbor and friend. But the primary meaning is relative.”)
Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “The Person who Accompanies All People” (“The literal equivalents ‘son of man’ and ‘son of people’ were both rejected because of the false inference of natural birth involving a human father. Furthermore, it was necessary to expand any translation of the Bible by the addition of the pronoun ‘I’ so as to clarify the fact that Jesus is using the third person in referring to Himself. A common expression used by the Cuicatecos when difficulties befall someone, is to say to that one, ‘don’t worry, we are accompanying you.’ By this they mean they share that person’s sorrow. When wedding guests arrive at the home of a son who has just been married, they say to the father, ‘We have come to accompany you.’ By this they mean that they have come to share the father’s joy. These expressions do not refer to ordinary physical accompaniment, which is expressed by a set of different verbs. For example, visits are always announced by some such greeting as, “I have come to visit you,’ ‘I have come to see you,’ or ‘I have come to ask you something.’ The desire to accompany a friend on a journey is expressed by saying, ‘I will go with you.’ Translation helpers used the verb ‘accompany’ in constructing the phrase ‘I, the Person who Accompanies All People.'(…) It reflects the fact that Jesus closely identified Himself with all of us, understands our weaknesses, shares our burdens, rejoices with us in times of gladness, etc.”) (source for this and the three preceding: Beekman in Notes on Translation January 1963, p. 1-10)
Guhu-Samane: “Elder-brother-man” (“Since the term denotes an elder brother in every way such as honor, power, leadership, representation of the younger, etc. it is a meaningful and fitting — though not ostentatious — title.” Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )
Navajo (Dinė): Diné Silíi’ii — “Man he-became-the-one-who” (“This terra presented a difficulty not only in Navajo but also one peculiar to all the Athapaskan languages. It lies in the fact that all these languages, so far as we know, have a word phonetically similar to the Navajo diné which has three meanings: ‘man, people in general,’ ‘a man,’ ‘The People’ which is the name the Navajos use for themselves. (The name Navajo was first used by the Spanish explorers.) Although it seemed natural to say diné biye’ ‘a-man his-son,’ this could also mean ‘The-People their-son’ or ‘a-Navajo his-son,’ in contrast to the son of a white man or of another Indian tribe. Since the concept of the humanity of Christ is so important, we felt that diné biye’ with its three possible meanings should not be used. The term finally decided on was Diné Silíi’ii ‘Man he-became-the-one-who.’ This could be interpreted to mean ‘the one who became a Navajo,’ but since it still would impart the idea of Christ’s becoming man, it was deemed adequate, and it has proven acceptable to the Navajos.”) (Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
Toraja-Sa’dan: “Child descended in the world” (“using a poetic verb, often found in songs that [deal with] the contacts between heaven and earth”) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Obolo: Gwun̄ Ebilene: “Child of Human” (source: Enene Enene).
Mairasi: Jaanoug Tat: “Person Child” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Costa Rican Sign Language: “It was impossible to translate the expression ‘Son of Man.’ The son-man sign simply means ‘male child.’ The Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO) team opted for an interpretation of the term and translated it ‘Jesus.'” (Source: Elsa Tamez (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 59ff. )
Lokạạ: wẹẹn wạ ọnẹn or “son of a person.” “This translation is symbolic in that it uses indigenous Lokạạ words. However, since the publication of the New Testament in 2006, this phrase has gained popularity within contemporary Lokạạ society as an expression to describe an important person whose career is going well. In the New Testament, the phrase ‘son of man’ is used to describe Jesus as prototypically human, but the Lokạạ phrase is now being used to describe an exceptional person in Lokạạ society.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
In many West African languages, using a third person reference as a first person indicator is common practice with a large range of semantic effects. Languages that use the exact expression “son of man” as a self-reference or reference to another person include Lukpa, Baatonum, Mossi (“son of Adam”), Yoruba (“son of person”), Guiberoua Béte, or Samo. (Source: Lynell Zogbo in: Omanson 2000, p. 167-188.)
In Swahili the expression Mwana wa Mtu or mwana wa mtu or “son/daughter of human person,” which is used by several Bible translations, also has “the idiomatic meaning of ‘a human being’” (source: Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole in An Intercultural Criticism of New Testament Translations 2013, see here). The same is true for the Lingala expression Mwana na Moto — “son/daughter of human person.” (Ibid.)
In Balinese “we are again bordering on theological questions when we inquire as to which vocabulary shall be used to translate the texts where Jesus speaks of himself as ‘the Son of man.’ One of the fixed rules governing the use of these special vocabularies is that one may never use the deferential terms in speaking of oneself. This would be the extreme of arrogance. Now if one considers the expression ‘Son of man’ primarily as a description of ‘I,’ then one must continually indicate the possessions or actions of the Son of man by Low Balinese words. In doing this the mystery of the expression is largely lost. In any case the vocabulary used in most of the contexts would betray that Jesus means the title for himself.
“However, a distinction can actually be made in Balinese between the person and the exalted position he occupies. For example, the chairman of a judicial body may employ deferential terms when referring to this body and its chairman, without this being taken as an expression of arrogance. Considered from this standpoint, one may translate in such a way that Jesus is understood as using such deferential words and phrases in speaking of himself. The danger is, however, that the unity between his person and the figure of “the Son of man” is blurred by such usage.
“On request, the New Testament committee of the Netherlands Bible Society advised that ‘the sublimity of this mysterious term be considered the most important point and thus High Balinese be used.'”
“One of the first things that we did in working through the earlier part of the New Testament was to decide on how we would translate some of the more difficult technical terms. It was immediately obvious that something must be done with the translation of ‘the Son of Man,’ since the literal rendering anak manusia (literally ‘child of a man’) held absolutely no meaning for Malay readers. We felt that the title should emphasize the divine origin and authority of the one who used this title, and at the same time, since it was a title, we decided that it should not be too long a phrase. Finally, a phrase meaning ‘the One whom God has ordained’ was chosen (yang dilantik Allah). It is interesting to note that the newly-begun Common Indonesian (Alkitab Kabar Baik, published in 1985) has followed a similar route by translating ‘the One whom God has chosen’ (yang depilih Allah).”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 8:25:
Uma: “After that, he touched his eyes again, and he ordered him to look. His eyes indeed became healed. All that he saw became clear.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then Isa placed his hands again on the eyes of that person. The person looked directly/intensely, so-then he was healed and he saw everything clearly.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus again touched the eyes of the blind person. And then that blind person thoroughly looked around, and then he could clearly see the people for his eyes were already good.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then Jesus laid-his-hands-on the eyes of the blind-one again. He opened-wide his eyes and was-able-to-see his sight being clear/bright.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus again touched/put-his-hand-on both the eyes of that blind person. That blind person looked-directly. Well, his eyes returned to being clear. He could now see everything very well.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Aguaruna: “Saying his eyes-place again touched. Doing thus strongly looking, his eyes getting well, saw all clearly.” (Source: Mildred L. Larson in Notes on Translation, September 1965, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 1:4:
Uma: “We(excl.) write this so that our (incl.) joy [will] be complete.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I write this to you so that our (incl.) joy will be complete.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of that, I am writing to you like this so that our (incl.) joy might be drawn tight.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “so that we (incl.) will thus be thoroughly happy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) are writing these things so that we can be happy with happiness which has no lack.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now I write these words so that you will more greatly rejoice.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “And these things I write to you in order that you may be very well off (happy).”
Eastern Highland Otomi: This here I am writing to you so that we (inclusive) all will have very much joy.”
Tzotzil: “Therefore thus I write to you (pl.) this in order that thus most happy we (inclusive) all will be.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
1 John 1.4″
Candoshi-Shapra: “I’m writing this in order that you might live with happy hearts.”
Yanesha’: “We, we write to you these things, therein completely you will be happy.”
Aguaruna: “I write this to you in order that you also, with us, may stay very content.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:26:
Uma: “I write this letter to you, speaking of them who want to deceive you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I write you this about the people who test/try to fool you in order to take you astray/separate you from the true teaching.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am writing to you so that you might be on your guard, for there are people who want you to believe what is false.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I have written you this about those who are trying to distract/turn-you -aside from the true teaching.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I have written these things concerning those people who keep on doing what can lead to your believing/obeying going astray.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “I write these words in order that you know that there are those going about who want to deceive you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “I have written this letter to you and have spoken these words about how people are doing who want to deceive you.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “That is why I wrote this to you, because there are some who intend to deceive us.”
Tzotzil: “ITherefore I have told you about those who want to deceive you.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “There are those who want to mislead you. That’s why I’m writing to you.”
Yanesha’: “These things, this is why I write you because they want to deceive you.”
Aguaruna: “I advised you (plural), ‘The ones angry at Christ will deceive you,’ that:” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:5:
Uma: “Those lying prophets, they are from this world. That’s why their teaching appears from this evil world, and people who don’t believe in the Lord hear and receive their teaching.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “These people who pretend to be prophets just/simply belong to the world hep, therefore their teaching is about all-sorts-of-things in this world. And they are heard/listened-to by the people that belong to this world, the ones who do not follow/obey God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for those people who are inspired by lying spirits, they are enemies of God, and what they teach transgresses God. And because of that, people here on the earth who are also enemies of God will listen to them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “As for those who teach lies, they are following the customs/behavior that is opposed to what God likes, and what they are teaching, it harmonizes with that behavior of theirs, so those who don’t believe like to listen to them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for these who are-falsely-claiming-to-be-prophets, they are companions of those who aren’t believers in Jesu-Cristo, therefore as for their words, they are indeed harmonious with the ways of those who aren’t believers. Well, those who are like them who aren’t believers, those are the ones who listen to them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “The lying prophets walk with the people who live here on earth, therefore they speak of things here on earth. And the people who live here on earth approve of what these liars say.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Those people who lie saying they speak God’s word, their heads are sitting (are concerned) only about what is happening on this earth. And therefore they speak words about what is happening on this earth, and other people who also are concerned only about what is happening on this earth heed them.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “And the deceiver prophets are servants of the world. And here in the world their word became visible (originated). So the world hears well what they say.”
Tzotzil: “Those who think they are saying God’s words, they are only of the world. Because they are only of the world therefore thus they talk. Their word is honored/respected by the people (unbelievers).” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “They proceed from the world. That’s why they talk about nothing but the world. The world enjoys listening to them.”
Yanesha’: “They are people of the earth. That’s why when they speak, this they will speak of, earth-origin things. Those who are the people of the earth listen to them.”
Aguaruna: “Those opposed to Christ, they belong to this world here. They tell concerning this world here, being so the people listen to them.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
